International student becomes a leader in the classroom and on the golf course
Jenna Bruggeman learned that big victories come from focusing solely on the next move
On the golf course, landing in the rough means your ball has flown off target, settling in the tall grass just off the fairway. Because the ball is sitting in thick, dense grass instead of the nicely manicured lawn where you wanted it to go, it also means your next shot will be more difficult than planned.
Every golfer, even those good enough to play collegiately, ends up playing shots out of the rough. Ultimately, it’s how you approach that next shot – your plan to get out of the rough and onto the green – that makes you successful.
When Jenna Bruggeman, a senior in architecture, arrived on University of Idaho’s campus in 2021, she felt like she landed in the rough even before she joined the Vandal women’s golf team.
“When I came to the U.S., there were still COVID-19 restrictions at the border, so my mom basically had to drop me off in Moscow and head back home,” said Bruggeman, originally from Edmonton, Alberta. “I didn’t know anyone here. Three weeks later, my golf coach – the coach who recruited me for the team – quit. It was quite the start.”
I’ve worked on sketches while riding back from a match on a bus. The bus is shaking all over the place, coach is looking at me like I’m crazy, but doing it that way was the discipline I needed to make sure it got done. Jenna Bruggeman, senior in architecture
Instead of getting caught up in the volatility of her first few days on campus, she started learning a valuable lesson that helped her find success in the classroom and the golf course – don’t look too far ahead in your journey. Instead, concentrate on your next shot.
“We call those ‘audibles’ – challenges you have to overcome when trying to accomplish a goal,” said Stephanie Young, head coach of the women’s golf team. “Jenna is someone who wants to succeed, but also understands it doesn’t happen overnight. She’s someone who has grown more appreciative of the small victories you get along the way because she understands that’s how big goals get accomplished.”
Sketchy study habits
One of Bruggeman’s big goals was to play golf in college. But what she wanted to study also mattered. Out of all the schools she received offers to play golf from, she chose U of I because of the College of Art and Architecture’s strong reputation.
“I’ve always been a person who wanted to do both and to do them at a high level,” she said. “I was an architecture kid before I started playing golf competitively. I was more interested in building things with Legos and taking art classes than I was in golf.”
Balancing architecture classes — notorious for time-consuming studios, semester-long projects and lots of hands-on exercises — with a busy golf schedule was no easy task. Part of her academic success — Bruggeman was named to the WGCA All-American Scholar Team, the CSC Academic All-District Team and the Big Sky All-Academic Team in 2024 — was finding creative ways to get her schoolwork done.
“I’ve worked on sketches while riding back from a match on a bus,” she admitted. “The bus is shaking all over the place, coach is looking at me like I’m crazy, but doing it that way was the discipline I needed to make sure it got done.”
Bruggeman also spoke with all of her professors before each semester – both men’s and women’s golf teams play in the fall and spring – letting them know when and how long her road trips would be so they could plan out how she could complete her work. Sometimes that meant completing projects well before they were due.
“I remember a project where she turned it in two weeks early because she was traveling,” said Phillip Mead, associate professor of architecture. “She has a very stoic mindset and doesn’t seem to get overwhelmed. Despite the fact that she has to be very disciplined about her time, she produces beautiful work.”
Bruggeman, who is applying for graduate school in Canada, is interested in designing museums, art galleries, parks and libraries and plans to work at Rootstock Architecture, an architectural design firm in Edmonton, this summer.
Senior leadership
Bruggeman was one of five freshman golfers who arrived in Moscow in 2021. She is the only one who stayed for all four years — a testament to the talent and leadership skills she honed as a Vandal.
“Idaho women’s golf has a solid tradition and history here — well before I got here,” said Young, who came to U of I during Bruggeman’s freshman year. “In four years of working together, she knows what my vision for the team is and helps communicate that to her teammates. She’s an incredibly hard worker and developed into an ambassador for the program and the university.”
A consistent starter on the team this season, Bruggeman improved her game over the years by learning to be more creative and fluid.
“She takes a very natural and technical approach to the game,” Young said. “But she’s also added adaptability. Where she was maybe more rigid as a freshman, her game has evolved, and she’s realized there’s more than one way to accomplish your goal.”
As she prepares to see both of her collegiate goals accomplished, Bruggeman is glad she stayed in Moscow. Learning to take one shot at a time – even a shot out of the rough – has proved to be a valuable lesson.
“I think I’ve learned a lot of important skills at U of I,” she said. “If I’m playing 36 holes of golf in a day, I have to be focused on my next shot – not thinking 20 holes down the road. I might have to pull an all-nighter to get a school project done because I’m leaving the next day for 10 days. That’s what it takes to be successful. I think keeping that idea in mind sets you up to succeed in life.”
Article by David Jackson, University Communications and Marketing
Photos by Garrett Britton, University of Idaho Visual Productions and University of Idaho Athletic Department
Published in March 2025